CHINESE POLITICAL PARTIES

Officially recognized minor Chinese political parties (those parties other than the Communist Party of China and not actively
suppressed by censorship and other means) compose
The United Front, which is a nominally popular front nominally sharing power with the Communist Party (in reality the
CPC is the only party of the People's Republic of China, controlling the state apparatus, the military, and the media). The
Front is managed by the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and consists of the
All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and eight minor parties.

The United Front is represented together with other mass organizations such as trade unions, women's and youth organizations,
minorities, etc. in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The United Front holds no real power independent of the CPC. It serves a merely symbolic function and its leaders are mostly
selected by the Communist Party or are themselves CPC members.